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Liga MX wrap: Cruz Azul thrash Tijuana

14 April 2013 08:26

Cruz Azul have scored four second-half goals to thump Tijuana 5-0 in Liga MX, while Atlas needed a late equaliser against lowly San Luis.

While Atlas were denied the opportunity to go top of Liga MX in their 2-2 draw away to San Luis on Saturday, Cruz Azul substitute Javier Orozco scored twice in three minutes to wrap up his team's dominant victory over Tijuana.

Orozco scored in the 90th and 92nd minutes to cap off Cruz Azul's second win in a row and third in four matches as they maintained sixth position.

Cruz Azul scored just one goal in the first half with Pablo Barrera bursting down the right wing in the 31st minute, before sliding a pass inside to a sprinting Mariano Pavone, who took a touch and then smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

In the 56th minute, Teofilo Gutierrez, who had only just come off the bench, doubled the home side's lead, turning away from his marker before thumping a long-range strike over Tijuana goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo.

Tijuana had Cristian Pellerano sent off in the 70th minute and four minutes later Cruz Azul defender Gerardo Flores made the score 3-0 with a towering header from a corner before Orozco added two late goals to completely demoralise the visitors.

Orozco's first goal came when he was released in behind Tijuana's defence by Gerardo Torrado and finished with aplomb from a tight angle.

The 25-year-old striker then tapped home Gutierrez's mistimed shot in stoppage time to keep Cruz Azul in sixth position ahead of Monterrey, Pumas and Pachuca on goal difference.

At the Estadio Alfonso Lastras Ramirez in San Luis, Atlas would have been confident of going top of Liga MX, especially after Vicente Vuoso gave them the lead in the 32nd minute.

But the 15th-placed home side were not willing to roll over for their high-flying visitors and almost snatched victory after goals from David Salazar (77th minute) and Mauro Matos (90th minute).

Atlas saved a draw in the third minute of stoppage time, however, when Isaac Brizuela put in the equaliser.

The draw takes Atlas to 28 points, one behind league-leading Tigres, and two ahead of America and Santos Laguna.